Hospital Employee Strike

[Nickademus]

The HEU (Hospital Employees Union) here in BC has been on strike since monday (April 26th). The union includes RPNs, Cooks, Janitorial services, etc. Why are they on strike? To keep from getting a 15% pay deduction and fighting for a cap onthe number of employees that can be fired and contracted out. After 3 days.........yes only 3 days the BC Gov't enforced back-to-work legisltiaon. A little early in the strike but ok a Legit move. However, the legislation also IMPOSES A CONTRACT on the workers. that contract includes the %15 cut and no cap. When did it become possible to IMPOSE contracts on employees? The HEU has decided to defy the legislation (good for them) and are calling for a general strike today. BC FErries, OPSU and a few other unions are standing strong behind them. My union (which is also about to go on strike), is not supporting the general strike (at least so far as Iknow).

I have to say though, I was impressed by an NDP member (can't remember which one) who told the union they should make this battle a living hell for the BC Gov't. I agree. Make Gordon Campbell's life a living hell. Solidarity to my brothers and sisters in the HEU!

[thatCHEr]

Meh. Well if they do suceed, which I hope never happens, they will have no one but themselves to blame when they find their numbers being thinned.
Its not hard. Higher pay = higher costs. These can either be passed on to the consumer, via higher priced goods, or costs will have to be reduced some other way. Obviously in this situation raising prices is not an option. So employee numbers should be reduced to keep costs from rising. Although I expect government has put a target on the number of staff to be employed. And thus you arrive at the current situation all over again.
The market will only pay what the labour is worth. If the hospital employees are really worth more than what is being offered, they can go somewhere else giving a better deal.

What the union is attempting to do is the labour market equivolent of creating a monopoly on a good. Something undoubtably you're all very critical of.